WORCESTER, Mass. – Freshman Emily Mital (Frisco, Texas/Frisco Liberty) hit a long-range three to cut the deficit to four with 1:31 remaining, however Holy Cross made its free throws down the stretch to hold off the UMass women’s basketball team, 76-64, in the Hart Center on Tuesday evening. The setback leaves the Minutewomen at 1-3 on the year, while the Crusaders improve to 2-3.
Freshman Aisha Rodney (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich./Grosse Pointe South) paced UMass with her first double-figure scoring performance of her career with 15 points to go along with seven rebounds and three steals. Senior Megan Zullo (Greenville, N.C./Farmville/N.C. State) followed with 14 points and registered four assists and three steals. Mital finished with 10 points, her first time in double figures with the Minutewomen, while junior Jasmine Watson (South Bend, Ind./South Bend Washington) added 10 points and seven rebounds. Senior Emilie Teuscher (Miamisburg, Ohio/Miamisburg) corralled a team-best 10 boards, a new career high, while redshirt-sophomore Carolann Cloutier (Montreal, Quebec/Dawson College/Old Dominion) dished five assists.
The first half was tightly-played as the two teams were separated by no more than four for the majority of the period until a layup by Brisje Malone with 2:44 remaining kick-started an 8-0 run for Holy Cross. Christine Ganser’s basket at 1:36 gave the Crusaders their largest lead of the period, 34-26. The Minutewomen responded with five straight points, a three from Zullo and a bucket by freshman Kim Pierre-Louis (Ottawa, Ontario/St. Paul Catholic) to cut the deficit to 34-31 before Ganser hit a pair of free throws in the closing seconds to expand the advantage back out to five.
Holy Cross came out of the intermission with a 6-2 run to stretch its advantage to nine, 42-33, with 18:30 to play. Later Meredith Ward gave the Crusaders their first double-digit lead, 58-48, at the 9:24 mark. With 6:44 left, a jumper by Cloutier began an 11-4 run for the Minutewomen that was capped off with Mital’s trey at 1:31. However, Holy Cross hit six free throws down the stretch to help preserve the win and finished the evening 21-for-22 (95.5%) at the charity stripe.
UMass shot 41.3% (26-for-63) from the field in the contest and made 5-of-18 (27.8%) from beyond the arc, while converting 7-of-11 (63.6%) free throws. Holy Cross shot 26-for-62 (41.9%) overall and 3-for-15 (20.0%) from three and out-rebounded the Minutewomen, 44-31.
Amy Lepley’s 15 points led the Crusaders’ four players in double figures followed by Ward and Alex Smith’s 14 apiece, while Malone and Gansler each added 10. Ward completed her double-double with a game-best 14 rebounds, while Gansler grabbed nine boards and Malone had five assists and four steals.
UMass will be back in action on Saturday, Nov. 26, playing host to its first SEC opponent since 1998, taking on Ole Miss at 1 p.m. in the Mullins Center.
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